Schible's documentary - while not particularly well shot - is a very useful insight into the work of a major composer.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 26, 2018

Those who are interested in how documentarians capture artistry on film will find good examples in Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda. It helps to come to the film with some foreknowledge of Sakamoto's career, however.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 16, 2018

Isn't a life story or a deep-dive character study. Rather it is a heartfelt mediation on the creative process, with elegantly presented ideas on nature, music, mortality and things out of tune.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 2, 2018

Stephen Nomura Schible's documentary, Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA is not only a portrait of a great artist, but a sensitive and engrossing depiction of the act of creation and its process.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jul 26, 2018

Simply by lingering with his pensive, compelling subject at the keyboard, or engaging Sakamoto (discreetly) in his thoughts on his life and his music, Schible casts a spell and captures the spirit of a uniquely gifted composer.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 26, 2018

The intimate documentary "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda" finds the accomplished composer in a deeply introspective place in both his life and career.

| Jul 12, 2018

Sakamoto is fascinating to watch. He's a charming, lively presence, and it's always a pleasure to watch his expressions of delight and surprise at the new sounds he's discovering, his own or nature's.

| Jul 6, 2018

Won't hold much appeal for those requiring an introduction, but should please fans with its drifting, lyrical, and thoughtful tenor, echoing so much of this artist's music.

| Jul 6, 2018

Schible started making his film in 2012, and Coda skips deftly across the years, incorporating intimate footage of the composer at work as well as archival footage from his earlier years.

| Jul 5, 2018

By the end of this documentary, you will feel as if you not only understand Mr. Sakamoto intellectually, but also share a sense of the excitement he feels when discovering just the right match of sounds.

| Jul 5, 2018

The documentary...is never busy, never intrusive, and glides along at a delicate pace, occasionally capturing painful footage of Sakamoto forcing down a seemingly endless sequence of anti-cancer pills, but otherwise calm, respectful and thoughtful.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 29, 2018

Reality and cinema combine seamlessly as editor Hisayo Kushida transitions from studio recordings to film clips that outline an eclectic career.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 28, 2018

[Sakamoto] is also ceaselessly interested in the possibilities of electronic music, though I have to say shots of him at the piano keyboard are more interesting than him at the computer keyboard.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 27, 2018

The result is an inspirational and deeply moving biopic that resonates long after the closing credits roll, not only because of the uncertain health of its subject, but the tragedies and joys of the human condition that give meaning to his work.

| Jun 8, 2018

It too often relies on lazy synchronicity, drawing awkward parallels between Sakamoto and the films he's worked on.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 26, 2018

With a light touch but deep reserves of respect for fans both old and new Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda is an extremely fitting portrait of the influential composer.

| Apr 19, 2018

By showing the different sides of Sakamoto, Schible enables the viewer to see how they influence this personal album.

| Apr 19, 2018

This is a documentary that rejects every behind-the-scenes cliché around, and stands as an immensely moving and inspiring piece of cinema in its own right.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Nov 1, 2017

A gentle, reflective portrait that seldom gets personal and yet somehow feels quite candid.

| Sep 4, 2017